The Aftermath
by petevioletfan
Summary: This story takes place after Pete's heart attack in the finale.


As the door closed behind her Violet could feel tears threatening to spill from her eyes. The tears she had fought so hard to keep inside as her husband refused to catch her eye or even acknowledge her departure.

She was determined to show him that she wasn't running away this time. That it was only three weeks before she would return to him and their son. However, now that Violet was standing outside her home she couldn't help feeling that she was running away.

As she arrived at the airport Violet immediately proceeded to her gate, having flashbacks of the last time she left her family, but this time without Cooper by her side.

As she sat down in front of the gate prepared to board for New York, she could feel the lump in her throat starting to build again. She really was having a hard time comprehending why leaving for three weeks led to perhaps the biggest fight she and Pete had ever had.

It was precisely then that she spotted Addison strolling by, looking eager to be somewhere tropical.

After a brief encounter with her colleague..or her ex colleague now, she couldn't help but feel worse. Addison was flying around the world for a date, clearly eager to recover from her breakup with Sam, clearly looking for change.

Violet instantly recognized that people come to airports to get away. They come to escape, whether they are leaving friends, family, careers, ultimately they all come for the same reason..departure.

She didn't want to escape. She didn't want to run from her family, and she knew that if she boarded that plane this feeling would only get stronger as the weeks passed.

Without even consciously aware she was doing it Violet picked up her carry on bag and left her book tour behind. Despite Pete's impulsive decision to proclaim being done with their relationship Violet knew that wasn't the case, she needed to get home and prove that she wasn't going anywhere.

As she stepped through her front door, an act that had began to feel so routinely familiar she was hit with the unexpected.

Her husband lay on the floor, only feet away from the spot she was left to die merely two years ago. It wasn't until seconds later that she noticed her son silently staring at his father, unsure of how to react.

Violet dropped her bag and sprinted towards her unconscious husband.

"Pete! Pete!" she screamed as she picked up the phone that had fallen to the floor, in what she assumed was a desperate attempt for Pete to call for help.

As she hung up the phone she felt tears falling from her eyes. Being happily married for the last year had made her feel completely safe, to the point where she couldn't remember feeling this scared.

Violet ran over to her son and picked him up, trying to comfort him to the best of her abilities despite the current situation. She didn't want to move Pete out of fear that would only make things worse.

Her confidence in her medical abilities was at an all time low since getting her license suspended so she waited in utter fear for the ambulance to arrive as she whispered over and over "Pete you're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay."

The sirens grew increasingly louder as they approached her house. The paramedics quickly removed Pete from the spot that now held so much significance, and Violet boarded the ambulance as she clutched tightly to her son.

Lucas began to fuss, leaving Violet to assume he could sense her fear.

"It's okay my baby, Mama's here" she kept repeating, trying to convince herself as well as Lucas that things would turn out okay.

In a rush of things, the paramedics desperately attempted to revive her husband, who remained unconscious. They shocked him multiple times, losing hope with each round.

Violet could hear herself begging them as her voice cracked with tears.

She sat Lucas down beside her and clutched Pete's hand as she brought her face to his.

"Pete, don't do this to me. I can't do this without you. I need you here with me okay?" Violet doubted anyone could make out her words underneath the sobs that seemed to be racking her body.

A paramedic gently pushed her aside, clearly more interested in saving Pete's life. She sat back beside her son, lifting him into her arms and staring outside the front window. They were passing the cafe where she and Pete stopped routinely on the way to work for a morning coffee.

The rest of the ride was a blur, the next thing Violet knew she was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. The room where she had sat so many times before.

Lucas fell asleep in her arms, and after she gently placed him on the chair beside her she stood and began to pace the room, eager for answers.

"Mrs. Wilder?" a familiar looking man in scrubs asked from behind her.

"Yes, that's me" Violet responded quickly. "How is he, is he okay?"

"Yes, he suffered from a major cardiac infarction, however we managed to get his heart starting again in the ambulance and after rushing him into surgery it looks like he's going to be okay" the doctor replied.

Violet let out a huge sigh, merely concentrating on the fact that her husband was alive. "Thank you so much".

"You're welcome. He's just come out of surgery and is still being closely monitored. He hasn't woken up yet, but you should be able to see him in a few hours."

Violet nodded, unable to voice a reply. She sat back down beside Lucas and rubbed the boys hair as he slept peacefully. "Everything's gonna be okay baby" she said as she looked down at her son.

Still in mild shock, Violet was taken aback by the voice of Charlotte King.

"Violet, I just heard bout Pete. I saw he was admitted a few hours ago. How you holdin up?" she asked, as she took a seat beside Violet.

Violet could hear herself sigh again as she rested her head in her hands. "Not too good" she responded as tears fell from her eyes.

Violet immediately felt Charlotte's arm hand on her back, trying her best to comfort her. "I talked to his surgeon. They told me he's gonna be alright."

"Yeah, I know, I just can't believe this happened. I mean how did this happen?" Violet begged, looking for answers.

Charlotte, clearly with no answers didn't respond right away. "Do you want me to call Coop?"

Violet paused, thinking about the support of her friends right now and felt it might be too overwhelming. "Maybe in a bit...if you could just sit here with me for a while.."

"Course" Charlotte responded leaning back in her chair to get comfortable. "Yunno, I know things are bad right now, but trust me as long as his hearts beatin, everything will be okay."

Charlotte's words were oddly comforting. Violet failed to respond, just knowing that Charlotte's presence would be comforting enough. The two had such a strange relationship that was oddly close. Despite their obvious differences, they had a bond that seemed to extend further then just common ground.

The two sat in silence before Violet spoke; "I just can't believe I wasn't there. I can't believe I left him alone. If only I had been there.."

"You can't go beating yourself up like that, you know as well as I do that won't help. You couldn't have had any idea this would happen" Charlotte said.

"But I should have had an idea. If I hadn't been so self involved in my book tour I would have noticed that he had trouble running the other day, that he didn't look good the other night, that he was stressed...he's my husband..I should have known" Violet replied as she turned and looked at Charlotte.

"Listen" Charlotte proclaimed as she grabbed Violet's hand. "You blamin yourself is not gonna do any good. You're here now, Pete's okay...you're here now."

These words comforted Violet in a way she couldn't explain. Her fight with Pete had been focused on her tendency to leave and run from her problems. But now, she knew that wasn't true, because she was here now. She was here for the man she loved and that was all that mattered.

The next few hours passed by so slowly, Violet felt as if she had been waiting for days. Charlotte sat beside her offering the support she needed until Violet encouraged her to go back to work, and that she would be fine.

Charlotte must have called the others because it wasn't long before she found herself sobbing hysterically into Cooper's shoulder, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

Addison and Sam arrived together shortly after, Addison clearly also backing out of her flight. Sheldon and Amelia followed, both offering their condolences.

Naomi was the last one to come, a surprising arrival considering she was set to leave for New York with Fife and Betsey. They all sat patiently in the waiting room, eager to hear some news. Violet sat with her head in her hands for the better part of an hour, clearly feeling guilty and anxious.

"Mrs. Wilder?" a nurse asked as she walked into the waiting room.

"Yes" Violet responded, quickly standing up.

"You're husband just woke up and is asking to see you." she said. The nurse didn't look older than 25 and clearly could not understand the emotions that seemed to be affecting the woman beside her.

The rest of the practice looked at her smiling, convincing her things would be okay. "Can you guys watch Lucas" Violet asked, even while knowing he would be safe with them.

As the nurse led Violet down the hall that she had walked so many times before, she could not help but feel nervous. She knew Pete had just been through a lot but kept thinking about the way they had left things between them, and how bitter Pete looked as Violet left for the airport.

The sight of her husband shook her to the core. Violet had seen Pete upset many times, but she had never seen him look this weak. He looked as if he had been through hell.

"Pete" she whispered, her voice full of sympathy. The nurse left the room, leaving them alone.

Violet made her way to his bedside, pulling up a chair that was sitting close by. She couldn't be sure if Pete was completely conscious. His eyes kept closing as if against his will.

Violet broke down, grabbing Pete's hand close to her face, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I shouldn't have run." Her body was convulsing, as Pete's hand remained in hers.

Everything was silent except Violet's cries. She needed to hear him say something, just to convince her that he was alive.

"You came back" she heard him whisper quietly.

She could hear herself laugh quietly. "I came back Pete, I came back" she repeated.

He looked into her eyes, an action he couldn't bear earlier on that day. "I love you" he whispered, forgetting the disagreements of the last few days and focusing on a healthy future.


End file.
